The practice of generating content for publication, such as writing articles, Web logs (blogs), etc., often involves describing or incorporation aspects of content generated by other authors. Authors may find such referenced content by researching publications, which can include books, periodicals, online articles, blogs, and the like. Typically, authors are encouraged, or required, to directly reference (such as through citations or bibiliographies) any publications that they quote or paraphrase in their published content. References to publications give attribution to the originators of thoughts and ideas. References can also include identification information that enable readers to find the publications should they wish to check facts, conduct further research, or the like.
Some authors may omit references to others' works, either intentionally or unintentionally. By doing so, an author may be committing plagiarism, copyright infringement, and other acts that may give rise to legal and/or social consequences. In its most extreme form, plagiarism can include copying of an entire publication or unpublished work. More often, authors may make attribution errors, such as forgetting to cite others' works, improperly citing others' works, or the like.